Complex Simplicities
by FairWhite Phantom
Summary: Once deleted, now brought back. Will No Heart's newest ally be his greatest weapon? Or his greatest weakness? Either way, his life will never be the same. No Heart/OC. Rated T for mild language and vaguely suggestive content.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

_Actually, truth be told, this was my first fanfic ever when I first posted it, but I deleted it for personal reasons I need not bother y'all with. But now, I've felt that the time is right for it to be re-posted. Anyway, all I ask is that you be nice, no flaming, although constructive criticism is tolerated, as long as you leave something positive as well. And I definitely encourage reviews! But as I said before, please be nice, as I am a rather sensitive person._

_And now for my disclaimer: *sigh* This part is a pain in the ass, just like eating humble pie, but it must be done: All characters from the Care Bears series are properties of American Greetings, DIC and Nelvana (but just Nelvana, in this case), and not of me. However, certain characters in this story are my property, though I'm not giving out their names just yet, 'cause that would be a spoiler, and we don't want that now, do we? But trust me, you'll know 'em when you meet 'em. _

_And now.....into the abyss!!_

**Chapter 1: Introduction**

* * *

It was Autumn. The time of year when Summer's vivid green scenery and strong sunlight fade away and become replaced by the many shades of red, orange, yellow and brown that color the once green trees, and the sun lays a little lower in the sky, making warmth a more scarce than it was before. It is the time of year when the luxurious relaxation of Summer Vacation for children is brought to an end, as with all good things, eventually, and the young ones return to school to learn new lessons and meet new friends. Yes, it was truly autumn on Earth.

But Earth wasn't the only place this was happening.

Care-a-lot: High up in the sky, hidden from most human eyes, even those passing by on a plane, nestled within the fluffiest and most luxurious of the clouds is this magical land. This alternate world is a sort of paradise containing many wondrous things; trees, towns, houses, shops, carousels, hearts, stars and rainbows. It is a place where love, caring and harmony thrive.

And all these things are made possible by this beautiful world's inhabitants: The Care Bears. These cuddly and kind creatures are benevolent and magical life forms that resemble small bears and come in many bright colors. Their purpose in life is to spread good and kindness throughout the world of mankind in any way they can. They visit humans (mostly children, as it is mainly children, with their pure souls and bright minds, who can even believe in, let alone see, them) who are in need and help them with their problems. The Care Bears exist to help people share their feelings and be friends.

No matter what day, time or season it is, the Care Bears are always ready and willing to drop everything and do whatever it takes to fulfill their sacred duties as the guardians of caring.

Some of their missions are simple, while others are more harsh and grueling. And a simple challenge,was apparently what an orange-colored Care Bear with an image, or "tummy-symbol" of two cute-looking flowers on the front of her round, furry belly known as Friend Bear would find herself being assigned as she made her way towards the Care Bears headquarters, a large, red heart- shaped building known as The Hall Of Hearts, to answer the call that had been sent to her. She walked leisurely down the the path that winded through the heavenly neighborhood, enjoying the sight of the colorful foliage of the the cheerful-looking trees of Care-a-lot and humming merrily to herself when she spotted her best friend Secret Bear, a bear who was a slightly darker shade of orange than Friend, and with a red, heart-shaped lock as his tummy symbol, standing on the side of the path, as he fiddled with a piece of paper and created an origami crane. Holding it up to the sun for a clear look at his work, he suddenly noticed Friend, and promptly skipped over to greet her.

"Oh hi Secret Bear!" Said Friend. "I almost didn't see you there. You're so full of surprises!"

Secret grinned, then leaned over to whisper in Friend's ear to ask her a question.

"Oh!" Said Friend. "I was just on my way to the Hall Of Hearts. They said they had a caring assignment that sounded just right for me."

Secret Bear tapped on his chin for a moment in thought. Then he whispered again in Friend's ear.

"Sure, you can come with me." Friend replied. " If it's alright with Trueheart and Noble Heart. I'm sure they won't mind."

Together they reached the Hall Of Hearts. Once inside, they were greeted by Trueheart Bear, a cream-colored Bear with a purple and pink hair tuft and a colorful heart containing a small star. "Oh hello there, Friend." She said in her sweet and motherly voice. "And hello to you too, Secret.", she said, indicating the darker orange Bear. "I'm guessing you want to join Friend on her assignment today?"

Secret nodded.

"That's fine with me. What do you think Noble Heart?"

The purple horse with the blue mane and tail known as Noble Heart Horse was not a Care Bear per say, but rather a Care Cousin. The Cousins were just like the Care Bears, helping people with their feelings and spreading joy. But rather than bears, the Cousins resembled various other animals, and they inhabited the Forest Of Feelings, a neighboring land located between Care-a-lot and Earth, and was like a tropical jungle-themed paradise. However, the Care Bears and their Cousins could visit each other's homes whenever they wanted or needed to.

"I don't see why not.", the horse said. "After all, Secret Bear's been known to be pretty smart and informative for a bear of such few words."

Trueheart chuckled sweetly. "Well then, it looks like you can go along."

Secret smiled. He always enjoyed going on missions with Friend. Then he turned to her and whispered in her ear.

"So," Friend spoke up. "What's the assignment?"

"Well," said Noble Heart, "This morning we spotted two children, a boy and a girl named Ike and Danielle, trying to play hooky and skip school."

"Yeah?" , asked Friend in curiosity.

"Well, there's more." , Trueheart continued. "According to the little Star and Heart Buddies that were sent to investigate the situation, it appears that the children are doing this because they're afraid of something at their school."

"Wow. Sounds serious." Said Friend. "So you want me and Secret to go down there and try talking to them about it?"

"If you wouldn't mind." , replied Noble Heart. "After all, being a friend and comforting others is your specialty, right Friend?" , he added with an encouraging wink.

"You bet, Noble Heart!" Friend exclaimed. Secret nodded energetically in agreement.

"Well then, step over here to the starascope and have a look so you know where to go and who to look for." Advised Noble Heart, gently putting a paw on each of their shoulders and leading them over to the starascope.

Friend peered into the starascope, and sure enough, there were two children, a boy about nine years old with blond hair and a girl of about seven with brown hair, hiding behind a town dumpster, indeed looking very uneasy.

After memorizing the children's appearances, and the location on Earth, Friend and Secret were both ready to go. Trueheart produced a cloud car, and both Friend and Secret Bear hopped in. Then, after giving Trueheart a kiss on the cheek, they waved goodbye and drove away, making their way down to Earth.

* * *

_So, there it is, the first chapter! Yes, I know it's a little quaint and not very informative, but the plot will thicken soon enough. So, what do you think? Am I off to a good start? I hope so! _:)


	2. Chapter 2: The talk

Chapter 2:** The talk**

With Friend behind the wheel of their cloud car and Secret in the passenger seat at her side, the two Care Bears descended down from Care-a-lot and reached the Earth's atmosphere. Soon they arrived above a suburb neighborhood located in a small town (as yet unnamed) somewhere in New Jersey. As Friend brought the Cloud Car into a gentle cruise a few feet above the subdivision, Secret's eyes scanned the area, looking for any telltale signs of the children in question. Secret was a Bear of few words, preferring to watch and listen rather than talk. This gave him a knack for noticing things that would most likely be otherwise overlooked. Naturally, he spotted the children in seconds.

Tapping on Friend's shoulder to get her attention, he pointed down to a dumpster on the edge of the neighborhood. Indeed, it was the very same dumpster that they had glimpsed earlier through the starascope back in Care-a-lot. And sure enough, the boy and girl were still there, looking no happier than they had when the two Care Bears had observed them. In fact, they looked to be feeling quite cold.

"Boy, they must really be scared of something to be willing to hide here out in the cold.", Friend said to Secret, who nodded in agreement.

_There's probably a bully harassing them or something_, thought Friend to herself as she steered the cloud car down to the ground where it landed smoothly by the dumpster.

Friend climbed out of the cloud car, followed by Secret, who stopped to whisper in Friend's ear.

"You're probably right, Secret." She responded. "We wouldn't want to scare them any more than they already are."

So, rather than heading around behind the back of the dumpster, Friend stopped in front of it, and began to gently call to them.

"Ike? Danielle? " No answer. But Friend wasn't fooled. She knew they were there.

Still, she tried again. "Hello?"

"Who are you? Go away!", came the voice of Ike, the boy.

_Aha!,_ thought Friend. She then decided it was time to show herself, and walked around behind the dumpster, Secret close behind. There were the two kids, Ike, a nine-year-old boy with blond hair and his sister Danielle, a seven-year-old girl with auburn hair, and both of them seemed to be trying their best to look tough, in spite of their fear and the cold.

Then Danielle, upon really seeing who it was that greeted them, relaxed somewhat.

"Are you..Care Bears? Real ones??" She asked, her eyes wide.

"We sure are!", Friend replied with a smile. She reached out and shook Danielle's hand. " My name is Friend Bear. And this is Secret Bear."

Secret smiled and shook Ike's hand. Friend laughed. "He may not talk much, but he still says hi!"

A second or two of awkward silence followed. Then Ike spoke up. "What are you doing here?", he asked, trying not to sound rude, puzzled though he was.

"Well, we could ask you the same thing.", Friend said with a smile and a slight giggle to show that she meant no offense. "Shouldn't you both be in school, instead of out here in the cold?"

"Are you kidding?", Danielle burst out. "We can't go back there!"

"Not after what happened yesterday!", Ike agreed.

"Why not?", Inquired Friend "What did happen?"

"Something weird", answered Ike.

"And creepy!", Danielle agreed.

"Creepy huh?", said Friend. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ike looked a little nervous at the idea. "I dunno, what good would it do?"

Questions like this, Friend always knew how to answer.

"Well, when you're upset, or scared about something, it helps to talk about it. That way, you can figure out best how to deal with it."

The children looked at each other for a moment. Then Ike spoke up.

"It's..._her._" He stammered nervously.

"I don't understand" ,Said Friend, puzzled. "Who's _her_?"

"Ms. Black." Ike answered. "The principal's assistant. She's really...weird."

Friend sat down, and so did Secret. "What do you mean?", she asked, wanting details.

Both the children sat down, too. "It's just..." Ike continued, struggling to find the right words. "Something about her, I dunno. She's got these really weird-looking eyes, and she's always in the dark, and when she gets mad..if you'd have seen her chew out one of the teachers yesterday...! Boy, I tell ya, if looks could kill.." He paused to take a deep breath. "She's like...she's like a _witch_ or something!"

Both the Care Bears were taken aback. "Do you believe in witches?", Friend asked Ike.

"Well", he answered, "no, I guess not. But Danielle does. Of course, she seems to believe in everything, and she gets scared really easily, and that's when she comes to me for protection."

Indeed, the subject made the girl uneasy, and tears began to well up in her eyes. She clung to her brother's arm possessively.

Friend wore an expression of sympathy as she came over and hugged the trembling Danielle gently, helping her to relax a little. And it certainly helped make her feel warmer. "Thank you, Friend Bear.", she said with a weak smile.

"No problem." Friend said warmly.

At that moment, Secret something in Friend's ear.

"Hey, you're right." , responded Friend.

"What did he say", asked Ike.

Friend and Secret both sat down beside the children once more. "You know," said Friend, "sometimes things aren't always what they look like at first. That's why it's not a good idea to judge people before you get to know them. Just like an apple that may look rotten and yucky on the outside might really be yummy and fresh on the inside, a lot of times a person who looks mean and scary on the outside can turn out to be a nice one on the inside."

Danielle looked up. "Really?", she asked timidly but hopefully.

"Trust me, I've been in this business a long time.", Friend said, chuckling. "I've seen it happen with a lot of people."

"So, you're saying maybe we should... get to know Ms Black better?", Ike asked curiously.

"Well, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt.", said Friend. "Like, during recess, or lunch or something, why not try going over and talking to her? You know, make friends?"

"Well", said Ike, "I guess we could try. Danielle and I are in different grades but we always get together during recess and lunch. So, I don't see why not. What do you say, Sis?

"Well, okay.", Danielle replied. "But, what if..what if she really _is_ mean?"

"Well then she'll just have to answer to me!", Ike said as heroically as he could. "Nobody lays a hand on my sister."

Danielle smiled. She felt better.

"That's the spirit!", said Friend, with a chuckle. "Feel better now?"

"I sure do!" Danielle exclaimed.

"I'm glad.", said Friend, smiling. "Well, maybe you ought to be getting to school now."

"Yeah", Ike agreed. He stood up and then helped Danielle to her feet.

"We missed the bus, didn't we?", she asked her brother, unhappily.

"Yeah, looks like we're gonna be late", he told her. "Boy, are we in for it."

"Well you can't hide behind this cold, smelly dumpster forever, now can you?" Friend remarked.

"Definitely not.", Ike agreed. "I think we'll be alright now. Thanks Care Bears."

"No problem." ,Friend said cheerfully. "That's what friends are for."

After giving both Ike and Danielle hugs, Friend and Secret bid them goodbye and watched them as they walked down the street together to school.

Then the two Care Bears turned to each other and shook hands. "Mission accomplished, Secret Bear!", Friend grinned. "Now let's get back to Care-a-lot." And she started for the cloud car.

But before Friend could get in, she stopped and noticed Secret. He stood there, seemingly deep in thought, like his attention was focused elsewhere, somewhere unseen..

"Secret?", Friend asked.

At the sound of Friend's voice, Secret blinked, and came back to reality.

"What is it, secret", Friend asked him, puzzled.

Secret looked away again, for a moment. Then he turned back to Friend. After giving her a "nothing, don't worry about it" sort of look, he climbed into the cloud car on the passenger side. Friend shrugged, and got in on the driver's side. Soon, once more with Friend at the wheel and Secret at her side, the two Care Bears were driving their cloud car out of the town, and back towards the sky to Care-a-lot, their home, proud of a job well done.

So, it seemed that Ike and Danielle's troubles were over.

But for an as yet unnamed someone else, troubles would soon be just starting.

Elsewhere, somewhere dark and forbidding, from the perpetually bubbling acid-green waters of a cauldron, through scowling, hostile red eyes that burned from within a dark cowl, someone else had seen all of what had just transpired. And he did not like it.

That someone was a sorcerer, a dark and spiteful soul known as No Heart.

_Don't...they...ever...LEARN?!! _ His thoughts were so bitter and disdainful they could almost be heard.

* * *

_Another chapter! Yippee! I did it! And I think I did a pretty good job too.:)_

_And yes, I know the talk that Secret had with the kids sounded a little corny and cliche'-ish, but hey, That's plot devices for ya! You gotta do what you gotta do._

_And worry not, dear readers, there will be lots more of the story's star, No Heart, soon enough._

_Have a nice day. :)_


	3. Chapter 3: No Heart's curiosity

_And now, we introduce the star of the story, as promised! Ladies and gentlemen and anything in between, heeeeeeeerre's No Heart!!!_

**Chapter 3: No Heart's curiosity**

* * *

The many sky-high worlds that lay hidden in the clouds are populated by many different, strange life-forms. Many of them, like the Care Bear Family, are benevolent and peace-loving. But such is not the case with all.

In fact, some are known to be quite unfriendly, inhospitable and even malevolent. And the two Care Bears, Friend and Secret Bear, though they were unaware of it, were being watched by just such a creature at that moment.

The Care Bear Family may have had their homes high up in the sky, but they were not the only ones who did.

A fair distance, but not so very far away, lived another life form, who had also chosen to make his home in the clouds long ago. The clouds _he_ lived among, however, were not the white, fluffy, sunny and cheerful ones favored by the Care Bears and their Cousins. These were grim, dark clouds, the kind of clouds thunderstorms are made of. This perpetual storm cloud constantly produced thunder and lightning that never seemed to die, making it inhospitable for most life forms. And protected by the sinister clouds, in their midst, was a huge, dark _castle. _Bigger than a skyscraper, having numerous towers and turrets that stood tall and sharp, and darker than the clouds that surrounded it, this gloomy dwelling was home to a mysterious and sinister individual.

No Heart. A sorcerer, a user of black magic.

No Heart was many things, among them wicked. For many years now, he had but one goal that he pursued. That to destroy all feeling, all kindness, all love, and with it, all joy. Yes, he longed to rid the human world of caring, and replace it with endless misery. No Heart was cruel, there was no doubt about that. Yet, amid all the evil energy that gave him much of his power, was a very talented, one might say, artistic, person. He possessed many impressive abilities, such as levitation, teleportation, a vast knowledge of potions, spells and hexes, and even powers such as weather control, lightning-bolt conjuring, and even shape-shifting into any animal he desired, or even a tornado, for ease of travel, all acquired and learned over the numerous years of his long lifespan.

But how old was No Heart? And where did he learn everything he knows today? Where did he come from? Why did he long so desperately to turn the world into such a dark place, where only misery could reign? _What was he? _

In addition to being wicked, cruel, and talented, No Heart was also shrouded in mystery. Many questions about him had been asked, mostly in the beginning, long ago when he first came to dwell up high in the clouds, but such questions had eventually silenced over time, as it became clear soon enough that No Heart had displayed no desire to reveal any of his secrets. All that he wanted, (and all that everyone knew mattered) was for no one to stand in his way, which someone often did, much to his annoyance.

And that, _those,_ someones that so often loved to interfere with No Heart's business of spreading hate and misery throughout the human world were his neighbors, those insufferable guardians of love, kindness and feelings, his sworn enemies, _The Care Bears. _How he hated them all.

If for no other reason than that they were his opposites in practically every way, not only in that they were animals, and he was..mostly humanoid, as near as anybody could ever figure out, but also in that whereas No Heart's time was spent trying to rob mankind of their love and feelings, the Care Bears and their Cousins lived to preserve these things which No Heart so despised. Day after day, these meddling fuzz balls flew down to Earth in their laughable cloud cars to help some sniveling human fool or other deal with whatever stupid, insignificant problems they were having. More often than not, it was usually some child or other, perhaps a fussy brat who didn't get invited to a friend's birthday party, or a boy who wanted to run away from home because of a new baby sibling, or a girl trying to skip school because she didn't get the part she wanted in a school play, or any other sort of petty, minor inconvenience one could think of. What a waste of time!

Humans, No Heart had always believed, were foolish, petty, uncaring creatures by nature, and the Care Bears, though they could have easily stayed up there in the clouds, playing and frolicking in their celestial, Utopian homes, far away from the prying eyes of humans without a care in the world instead chose to waste their time going down to Earth and trying to help these humans with their so-called "problems" by doing what they called "sharing their feelings". It was enough to make No Heart sick!

Exactly _why_ he loathed the sight of humans enjoying their happiness and love was unknown to all but No Heart himself. Put simply, it disgusted him, seeing all those unworthy ingrates be so happy, getting to love and be loved by each other and enjoying life to the fullest. It made him want to wretch into his own cauldron. How he hated seeing them be so happy, how he hated _them!!_

But why?

No one really knew, except for No Heart himself, of course. And far be it for him to consider the Care Bears, his archenemies, worthy of hearing his secrets, let alone likely to give a damn. It was seldom spoken of, for it was mostly considered unimportant, but the plain and simple truth was, _No Heart hated humans._

It was because of his loathing for them, that he saw fit to punish them day by day, any way he could.

Over the years, No Heart had dreamed up dozens of schemes to rid people of the caring and kindness he felt they did not deserve, and each time, he was thwarted, over and over again, by none other than those Care Bears themselves. Always! Though each loss angered him, and built into his everlasting rage and spite, his will was something not easily broken.

Lately however, No Heart had been growing restless.

He had dealt with losses before, always the same. He'd throw a fit for awhile, before finally calming down and carrying on, until next time. Over and over. Always. Like a broken record! It was growing tiring, dreaming up one glorious, seemingly fool-proof plan, only to have it ruined all over again by the Care Bears who'd exploit some loophole or other that No Heart would previously overlook. To make it worse, it was bad enough that his sworn foes spoiled his plans at all, but by taking advantage of whatever mistakes he'd made, it was only another reminder that-though he'd hate to admit it-those blasted bears were at times _smarter _than him! And that was a thought that he couldn't stand in the least.

Of course, No Heart had to remind himself, such foul-ups were not always _entirely_ his fault. For Mr. Beastly, his bizarre-looking, hairy brown pig-like creature servant, was known for having a knack for botching up plans. At times, in fact, it was enough to make No Heart wonder out loud to himself why he continued to tolerate such foolish clumsiness! Then again, the round-bodied, spindly-legged furball did have some uses, in terms of manual labor, like the housekeeping, cooking, cleaning, repairing and mechanical duties that were also his job, which he did surprisingly well, and with little complaint and no rebellion. And however harsh his master may be with him, Beastly always remained obedient and loyal as any dog. Such devotion, No Heart had to admit, was hard to find. And it was appreciated.

Then there was the third occupant who shared residence with No Heart: The only living family member he had, his niece, a feisty, high-spirited little girl known as Shreeky. Though she may have seemed a cute, harmless child at first glance, No Heart knew only too well her benign exterior concealed the passion, energy and ferocity of an adolescent stray kitten. She even had her own weapons of note. One, her magic mirror, which she carried with her at all times. It could function as either a crystal ball, allowing her to scry on far off events by looking into it, or it could be used as a weapon, when Shreeky would use it to fire bolts of energy to strike enemies with.

The girl's second weapon, was more feared than even her magic mirror. And that was her voice, when she turned it into a terrible shriek that was so strong it could cause glass to shatter and mountains to crumble into avalanches.

Yet, despite such hazards, she was always one of the very few welcome at No Heart's castle. In fact, often times these abilities had their uses, as they could make Shreeky a formidable foe in battle, in spite of her size and age. Besides, she was, after all, family.

The only one he had, really. It was strange, ironic even, No Heart would at times think to himself, that one so sinister and cruel as himself would be related to none other than a little girl, the last person anyone would expect to have anything to do with the wicked sorcerer. What struck others as stranger still, was that merely the simple fact that she was family would be enough incentive for No Heart to let her live with him, and even raise her, like she was his own.

Still, the girl was by no means spoiled. Treated well, civilly, entitled to her own private quarters and possessions, as well as the right to give orders to Beastly, who she enjoyed a higher status than. But even she must pull her weight, help out any way she could around her uncle's castle, like assisting Beastly with the housework. And sometimes, in addition to being one of No Heart's family, she also acted as one of his henchman, like Beastly.

It was often the two of them that the Care Bears tangled with, as Shreeky and Beastly would try to interfere with the Care Bears and their duties of caring and ruin their plans to spread kindness to others. But every time, so far, the Care Bears always triumphed, using that abominable ability of theirs: The Care Bear Stare. This power, which they generated from the various "tummy-symbols" on the fronts of their bellies, was a colorful shaft of concentrated love and good will intended to fill their target's heart with kindness and cheer, and with it, the Care Bears always won, somehow.

_Oh how I HATE it all!!, _No Heart thought furiously to himself as he clenched his fists on the the rim of the cauldron in which he gazed. The cowled sorcerer was by no means in a good mood. Lately he had been all through it in his head, and he could not think of but a single scenario in which the Care Bears could not find a way out of. Though he hated them, he knew all too well their strengths made them in many ways greater than himself. No Heart had many great and terrible powers possessed by no ordinary man that had yet walked the earth, as well as his two henchman. But the Care Bears had more, he knew. They outnumbered him, for one thing, and in their numbers lay a diversity of many special abilities, which when combined together, made them a well-rounded force to be reckoned with. And if that wasn't enough, they possessed remarkable cunning and resourcefulness, which allowed them to easily resolve whatever fix they may be in.

Worst of all, as soon as they saw their chance, they would use their "Stare" on No Heart, that power which he hated and feared for many years now, even giving him nightmares, occasionally.

For although Care Bear Stare was supposed to send love and joy into most people's hearts, No Heart was an exception, and all it ever caused him was a burning, yet icy, terrible pain which weakened him. It was unfair, in a way, like an unconscious part of him, left over from bygone times, was envious of all those who gained hope and strength from it.

_If that is what it means to feel, I can live well enough without it!_

Damn those horrible pests, taunting him with their happiness, something he never had, and knew he never could. No matter how hard he wished, No Heart knew he would never be entitled the same things enjoyed by them.

So he had learned to hate them for it instead.

If No Heart could never be loved, why should the Care Bears, or anyone else, for that matter? Especially those humans they wasted their time with! After all, it was humans that No Heart felt deserved it the least, after all they had done to him....

He let out a bitter sigh. All these losses, this eternal defeat, No Heart couldn't take much more of it. He couldn't keep going on like this, that he knew.

But it had been so long, and he was beginning to run out of ideas. The only conclusion he had yet reached was that he was missing something, and he needed to find out what.

Thus, it was that he stood leaning over his cauldron, gazing into the mystic waters which showed him anything he wished to see, searching for a sign. Anything, it mattered not what. As long as it provided a clue, and directed him to something useful.

As it was, No Heart had come across something that was, if nothing else, intriguing.

Minutes ago, he had watched two of the Care Bears, Friend and Secret, as they had just come to the aid of two children who were did not want to go to school, as they feared their principal's assistant, a woman they claimed possessed a fearful aura that made them feel uncomfortable.

He had witnessed the entire conversation, and the part regarding this woman the children spoke of made him curious. After all, it was not common for ordinary humans to give off such lasting impressions, with such little effort.

Unless of course, the said person was not ordinary at all.

Maybe it was nothing, and looking into it would only prove a waste of No Heart's time. But the possibilities were so vast in the dark man's mind, and if there was even the _slightest _ chance that this "Ms. Black" possessed any abilities that were even remotely unusual, he wanted to know. He was getting desperate.

"Show me this woman. Show me Ms. Black!" No Heart's words projected magic that commanded his cauldron to show him what he wished to see. He wanted to have a look at the human woman, and if she gave him a first impression that proved at all interesting, he intended to watch her for awhile...

TBC

* * *

_Now the plot's beginning to thicken, ain't it? Told ya it would! And it won't stop thickening there, rest assured.;)_


	4. Chapter 4: Potential Ally?

_Well, despite fighting a chronic case of Writer's Block , I have prevailed and returned with Chapter 4. Now you'll finally be able to meet my OC for the first time! Aren't you excited? Anyway, onward._

Chapter 4:** Potential ally?**

* * *

_Back on Earth_

Predictably, Ike and Danielle made their way to school. It took them a bit of time, since they were walking there, having missed the bus, but they still made it. They reached the building, which was quiet outside now that morning recess was long over and most of the kids had gone in to start their lessons. Now all that was left was the dead leaves of Autumn as they blew about the school grounds. Both the children's hearts sank.

"Oh man, we're even later than I thought. Now we're gonna be in _big_ trouble!" Ike said downheartedly.

What was worse, both of them knew that before they went to their classes they would have to go explain themselves to the principal. And before that, they'd have to get through the dreaded Ms. Black.

Ike looked downed at Danielle, wondering if she was thinking the same thing he was, and to confirm his question, she grabbed her brother's arm and clung to it possessively. "I'm scared" she whimpered, then added with a sob in her voice, "I don't wanna see the principal, and I _really _don't wanna see.._her! _She pointed a finger forward.

"_Uh-oh", _Ike muttered when he saw what, or who, his sister was pointing to.

Standing there, mere feet away from them, was her. Ms. Black herself. She was a tall, comely woman with a slinky physique and long hair that was black and glossy as the blackest ink and fell all the way down her back, reaching her waist. Her slender, pale face contained piercing, slanted eyes with bright golden yellow irises peering over half-spectacled glasses, eyes that hardly looked like they belonged on a human face. Her perfect lips, a luscious crimson hue, bore no smile at seeing the children arriving as late as they did.

_I could've sworn she wasn't there when we came, _Ike thought, nervously, and he heard Danielle gulp.

Ms. Black approached the two with a graceful and silent stride, and the children held their breath. When she got up close to them, she crossed her arms and eyed them, seeming to study them with her eerie eyes. Ike felt a sudden chill creep up on him. Even the sun seemed to be scared, as the gray clouds of Autumn crept up and covered it, as though to hide it.

"Sorry we're late!" Danielle blurted out, breaking the silence.

Ike looked down at her, surprised, and Ms. Black raised one sharply arched brow. Finally, after what seemed like a disturbing eternity of silence, she spoke, in a coldly calm tone.

"This way."

Ike and Danielle looked nervously to one another, then followed Ms. Black inside.

The inside of the school building was warmer than it was outside, but that made the children no less nervous as they followed Ms. Black to the principal's office, which was located not far away from the main entrance. When they reached the office, Ms. Black seemed to glide behind the principal's desk and sat down. Ike and Danielle stood in front of her, frozen with tension.

"Have a seat." she said firmly. The children did as they were told.

She clasped her slender, long-nailed fingers together and leaned towards them, looking them both in the eye. She heard Danielle mutter to her brother, "I wonder where the principal is?"

"Busy, at the present time." Ms. Black answered sternly, startling both the children, who both froze in their chairs and found themselves seemingly forced to make eye contact with this woman who frightened them.

"So then. I suppose you wonder why you're here, do you not?"

Danielle swung her feet back and forth nervously, and Ike spoke up. "Because... we're late?" He said timidly.

"Yes'" Ms Black replied. "And would you like to tell me why that is?"

Ike gulped, and Danielle grew rigid in her chair. Ms. Black again raised her sharp brow.

"Well?" She inquired. The room seemed to get darker, and her golden eyes seemed to glow.

Just then Danielle started to cry. She tried to cover it up but Ms. Black noticed anyway. Ike reached over and gripped her hand. "I'm sorry, Ms. Black. Please don't punish her! She didn't mean it. She's just scared, and so am I."

Ms. Black's expression softened slightly, and became curious. "What are you scared of?" she wanted to know.

"You!" Ike practically snapped, forgetting that he was speaking to the assistant principal, for all that mattered to him right now was his sister's feelings. "She's scared of you, and that's the reason we're late in the first place! We were afraid to come to school." He calmed down remembering who he was talking to, and looked even sorrier than ever. Ms. Black, surprisingly, did not get angry at his sudden outburst, because she had paid attention to _what _he said, rather than just the way he said it. She simply said:

"Oh."

The expression in her eyes shifted to one of slight sadness now, and she looked down, as though thinking.

By this point Danielle had stopped crying, and both she and Ike now noticed Ms. Black's reaction, which seemed to be one of hurt more than anything else.

"Sorry Ms. Black." Danielle spoke up, and her eyes began to burn with tears once again.

"No, no." Ms. Black responded. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me."

"You?" both the children asked in astonishment. It wasn't often that an adult apologized to a kid, after all.

"Yes", Ms. Black said. "You see, you wouldn't be the first one to tell me that. In fact, I've been told that many, many times." She got up and leaned against a corner, supported by one arm, and looking away, she sighed

Ike and Danielle were taken aback. "How come?" Danielle asked.

Ms. Black turned back to the children. "Nothing for you to worry about, dears. It's all my problem, not yours." She returned to the desk and sat down once more.

"But I will tell you this: Neither of you two should have any reason to fear me, as I would never do a thing to deliberately hurt you. And I'm sorry if I ever gave such a terrible first impression. All I ask is that you trust me, because I am here to help."

Ike smiled, and Danielle did too. They both nodded in agreement.

Ms. Black took a minute to write down two notes, one each for Ike and Danielle. "Well now, I think you'd better be getting to class" she said, handing the children each their respective notes. Then after saying goodbye to each of them and sending them on their way, she crossed over back to her desk and took her seat, to return to her duties.

As she got to work dealing with the papers in front of her, all containing the usual duties an assistant principal must deal tend to each day, she thought about the children and the conversation that had just taken place, and it bothered her.

It was true what she had told them, as was what they had told her: That they were scared of her, and also that they were not the first to. Although not exactly shocked by this, (she was practically used to it by now) she was somewhat disturbed nonetheless.

For as if there weren't enough people that had been disturbed by an encounter with Ms. Black, simply by taking one look in her eyes, slanted gold ambers that seemed as to be trying to entrance and pull your soul into their depths, now there were children. Innocent young children, wandering the world under constant confusion and fear of their own ignorance, now having to suffer another fear, one within their own school, and one that could not be avoided so easily. The thought of the children having to come to school each day and live their lives with this fear was not something that Ms. Black thought necessary, for being a child was a scary enough thing in itself, and not something that should be fed with yet more fear.

That had never been Ms. Cassandra Black's intention at all, when she was first given the job vice principal. She never meant to scare anybody, it just... happened. It had been that way since her early-mid teens, when people would stop and stare at her, as though with curiosity, or fear.. or both. She never could clearly tell which. But it only got worse as she grew into her late teens and twenties, as people started avoiding her, and watching her out of the corner of their eyes, like she was some freak or something. Not because of anything she ever did that was out of the ordinary, more like.. merely because of her very presence, her gaze, and eyes that she'd overheard on various occasions described as "supernatural-looking", and "eerie". It made Cassandra a loner most of the time, and she spent most of her time away from others, preferably in the dark with one or two books, as she grew up. At one time, during her late teens, she had also gone through a brief goth phase. But that was little help in aiding her popularity (or lack thereof), so she discontinued it.

Thus it had still continued into now, Cassandra's mid thirties. People still went silent when she approached, still hung back and some even hid. Hardly anyone ever spoke to her, except the principal himself, and even then the conversations were usually less than encouraging ones, and when she was at home her brother Alfred, whom she had just moved in with to help him with his financial situations, as he was a bright, intelligent man but never seemed to have his act together. But at least he trusted her, her being the one who, more often than not, when they were growing up, had stood up to the odd bully once or twice to protect Alfred, who often ended up in a pinch more than he could handle.

At last, after a moment or two of deep thoughts concerning such matters, Cassandra came out of her contemplative state and resumed her work, thus, the day going about as usual, like another.

_Elsewhere..._

He watched. And seen it all. Since the woman called Cassandra Black had entered the scene, No Heart had been viewing the entire conversation from beginning to end, seeking a sign... Well, as it was, if he had learned anything from observing this display, it was that Cassandra was, at least different, _unique,_ in some way. He realized it the moment he saw her eyes. _Those eyes.. _He thought. _Those piercing, golden amber eyes, with those severe, sharply arched brows, those dark, serious lips, all amid her all but alabaster white face and somewhat high forehead, framed with lustrous, long black hair that formed a widow's peak, all giving the impression of elegance as well as seriousness, not to mention intimidation. All in all, an sought-after quality in a potential ally. Ally, yes...Ally...._

It was then that No Heart realized the vision in his cauldron had vanished, before he even knew it!

He was a tad bit startled, and even privately deep down a little embarrassed (though he couldn't see why!), once he realized how quickly the time had flown. As it was, he shrugged and resumed his study. But the vision in the cauldron was gone, and would not reappear until later, when it was needed, which he knew, from experience, meant that the magic had shown him all he was meant to see, for the time being. And the magic, he also knew, had a way of knowing things that even No Heart himself didn't.

Just as well, perhaps. As the experience, uneventful as it may have been, turned out to be a surprisingly overwhelming one for him, and he felt the need to return to his throne room for some solitude and contemplation as to how to react to what he'd witnessed and what to do.

Entering his throne room, he relaxed comfortably in his throne, enjoying the feeling of sitting down, after what seemed like hours of standing up, leaning over the cauldron.

_So, _thought No Heart. _It seems I was right in thinking that this woman is... certainly unique, no doubt. Her face, the expression in her eyes, and such a serious voice.. _ Before he knew it, No Heart's posture began to relax involuntarily, and his eyes grew distant, as though he were in another world.

_Notice..._ He thought to no one but himself. _Notice the impression she gave those children, how intimidating they found her. Also, notice the effects she had on the real world, as well. I'd seen the whole thing, carefully observing her every move, so it couldn't have been my imagination that the room actually grew darker for a moment, there was an apparent chill, and her eyes, THOSE EYES! I surely, MUST HAVE... saw them... glow! GLOW!! Exactly the same way mine do! This is.. This whole thing is nothing short of remarkable. _

In yet again, another instant, the sorcerer realized he had spaced out again! Something that seemed to be happening a lot today, for some reason. And he couldn't help but notice that it always happened whenever he was thinking about that woman. No Heart was trying to figure out what it was that was so _special_ about this human woman, and here he was, his mind inevitably wandering back to her face, and her eyes, and her voice... He couldn't help it. she just seemed so.._ interesting,_ to him, for lack of a better word.

Well, why not? If, came the day, that the sorcerer could claim her as a new ally, she certainly seemed to have what it took to make for one effective in adding to his intimidating image! That was all it was.. Wasn't it? Or, could it be, something... _deeper?_

_WHAT?_

_No._

In a flash, No Heart realized what his brain (or was it his body? He couldn't tell which!) was trying to imply. And no man was quicker to deny such.. ideas.. than No Heart himself, he always liked to think.

"Come off it now, No Heart. Focus. Focus, I say!!" He ordered himself. Now, he needed to think about what was important. About any certain _abilities_, magic ones, naturally, that this Ms. Black woman might possibly possess. She must have. He saw the way the room got dark, a gust of wind swept through even though there was no window open, how her eyes glowed. _Enough with the eyes, Man!_ No Heart scolded himself silently once again. _I cannot keep letting such petty things distract me from the greater picture! It could make me vulnerable! _

_Besides, _He thought, now turning his private mental conversation on himself. _I know what you're thinking. I know what's there..in the back of your mind... That thing which vexes all men. Well it will never happen! You are.. not like other men. You know that! And, no one else, in their right mind, would ... Just forget it!!_

At that moment No Heart realized how hot he felt, how his uncaring heart was now pounding like since he couldn't remember when, and how worked-up he was starting to get. And it was then that he decided that the best thing to do, perhaps, would be to let the matter go, at least for today.

Now, the sorcerer felt he needed some air. So, assuming his favorite form, that of a dark tornado, he flew out an open widow and into the outside air...

TBC

* * *

_And thus, the plot begins to thicken a little more. A thin layer at a time, but thickening all the same. _

_I'm so proud of myself, turning No Heart into such a complex character! :D_


End file.
